The reports now being received indicate that corruption has started engulfing the Jan Dhan Yojana launched with biggest fanfare in recent times. In my earlier article, I have already indicated that banks are ill prepared for this scheme and thus it has to be implemented with the help of middlemen only. However, under pressure from Central Government, no CMD of a bank could even dare to ask for breathing time for launching the scheme. When CMD can not refuse, it means, down the line, everyone has to toe the line irrespective of the consequences which may bring disaster for the bank. Although, Jan Dhan Yojana is a good scheme for financial inclusion and nation is likely to reap in good results if and only if the same is implemented properly. Now, coming to the main topic of the corruption which has started seeping in Jan Dhan Yojana in the banking industry.
We are aware, the new scheme has been launched with freebies of insurance and overdraft. Only two days back we have uploaded a skit indicating how ignorant is public and staff about the features of the scheme because government has launched the scheme in a hurry and without specifying the details.
About two days back I was told by some people that in one of the branches of the largest banks in India, right in the capital of India Delhi, some banks have given the work to a team who are flooded with requests for opening of the account. Surprising I was told that people approaching the bank are being asked to pay Rs 20/- as charges for paperwork etc. I ignored this report and thought that Rs 20/- is a small amount and may be being charged for some for the sport photocopying etc. However, there was no justification for charging of even such amount from the poor people who are running from pillar to post for opening of their accounts so that they do not miss the bus of free insurance and Rs 5000 as overdraft.
Now, we have received reports that in another branch of a bank in East Delhi, some middlemen (claiming to be working on behalf of bankers) are now charging upto Rs 200/- to ensure that the accounts of the poor people are opened under Jan Dhan Yojana. I would like to call the comments of our fellow bankers as to what the report at their end indicate. Whether the work is being exclusively handled by the bank staff or they are hiring temporary hands to collect the applications, create the database for uploading in the system. Who is responsible for KYC of these accounts? Whether there is any control on the outsiders who are bringing the applications in bulk (as they may be working as conduit for corruption).
I was wondering if these incidents of collecting money from poor people can happen in the capital of the country, what must be happening in rural areas of UP and Bihar which are notorious for seve sulek. At such places there is no control on the staff and middle men as administrative offices are too far and there are no higher up authorities or journalists who will cover such stories. If this trend continues, soon the rate of opening such accounts may cross Rs 1000 to Rs 2000, and dishonest will reap a big bargain.
If the above happens, it will be the biggest blot on Modi Government and when later exposed on the bank staff.
Although this issue has not yet been raised at any other forum, and ABS may be the first forum to bring this to highlight. We do not have the facilities to do a sting operation like Cobra Post, I would wish if Cobra Post or some other investigative websites / news channels take a clue from here and do the sting operation across India, the results may be startling. I feel it is high time to nip this corruption in the bud and it is a wake up call for CMDs, EDs, GMs of banks or else the whole scheme will fizzle out and it will bring wrath of the poor people and will put the biggest dent on the reputation of the already battered banks and bankers.
Modi ji Jago or else your dream of Financial Inclusion may become graveyard of BJP. There is a need to further probe this issue and ensure that timely action is taken and dishonest bankers are suspended and middlemen thrown out. Honest bankers may not have time to complete this task on account of poor staff level and the middle men on whom they may depend will start looting the poor people.
My bank will not leave any wilful defaulter, says ED of United Bank -The Hindu
Manual culling of data from software has caused errors’
Unwilling to be idolised for taking the decision to declare Vijay Mallya and Kingfisher Airlines as a wilful defaulter, United Bank of India (UBI) Executive Director Deepak Narang said that while he merely did his part of the job as a banker, he was hoping that it would send a message to corporates that UBI would not spare any defaulter.
“My bank will not leave any wilful defaulter,” he said while talking to The Hindu.
Exactly a week ago, UBI had created banking history of sorts by declaring Vijay Mallya and three directors of Kingfisher Airlines as wilful defaulters.
He said that whatever be the eventual outcome of the entire affair (flowing from the declaration), he was willing to learn from it and move forward.
UBI had taken the step in line with the master circular issued by the Reserve Bank of India on wilful defaulters. He, however, declined to show his hand on his future plans (on declaring more borrowers as wilful defaulters).
UBI has listed some 405 companies and their directors as wilful defaulters. This includes only a few big names. Most of UBI non-performing asset is on account of the MSME sector.
Mr. Narang, along with Sanjay Acharya, also an ED, has been steering UBI since the erstwhile chairman-cum-managing director Archana Bhargava quit office in February 2014, leaving the bank steeped in a Rs.1,200-crore quarterly loss and a mountain of non-performing assets.
UBI, which was in the black till the first quarter of 2012-13, reported a Rs.489.5-crore loss in the second quarter, which ballooned to Rs.1,238.1 crore by the third quarter.
UBI’s problems were traced to its mounting bad loans, much of which went unreported. Most of these NPAs were in the sub-Rs.10 crore category. The state of affairs came to light following a review by the RBI, which, along with Deloitte, launched a forensic audit of the bank’s books.
Answering a query on the whys and hows of this state-of-affairs cautiously, Mr. Narang said that there seemed to be some deficiencies in the tool of reporting NPA. While the software of a reputed IT company was in use, available information suggested that “manual culling of the data from the software had caused errors”.
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